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This episode has been told and re-told incorrectly so often recently so I thought I’d just put it back out there for public consumption.
The Multnomah County District Attorney’s office has shown prosecutorial favoritism to violent, leftist protesters.
The office has provably shown that the protesters have been charged with far fewer and lesser charges, according to the Portland Mercury. As I pointed out here they actually sentenced a man to counseling as punishment after he threw a bomb at protesters.
Mike Strickland, of course, had the book thrown at him when some of these same troglodyte protesters assaulted him in an attempt to prevent the freelance journalist from covering their Black Lives Matter/Don’t Shoot PDX rally last July 7, 2016.
When they came back to assault him again from three sides shouting, “Get the f*** out of here!” and also carrying their sticks which they use as weapons, Strickland warned them to stay away by verbal commands and by putting his hand up. He then escalated to using his monopod to create a barrier and then, when all that failed and they kept coming, he unholstered his licensed gun and pointed it at them. His finger was never on the trigger.
It was a clear case of self defense and it worked to back off the black bloc protester thugs. But Strickland was charged with 21 counts, ten of which were felonies. He was convicted on all charges in a travesty of ‘justice.’
He chose a bench trial rather than a jury pool made up was mostly anti-gun activists and a protester who had attended the same event.
He could spend years — decades — in prison.
(See all my posts on this case at the bottom of this post for more detail. )
Let’s go back to March 10, 2015 when the pro second amendment freelance journalist confronted the producer of a film. The filmmaker, Skye Fitzgerald, represented to Strickland friend Chris Cochran that the film he was making would be an even handed look at gun issues. He asked Cochran to participate [A previous version of this story reported that it was Strickland who was asked to participate. I regret the error.]
When he saw Fitzgerald’s movie trailer, and saw it for the polemical anti-gun screed it was, Cochran knew he’d been had and sought to peacefully — and on tape — record him confronting Fitzgerald at a Gresham restaurant. Strickland went along to legally record the confrontation at the restaurant.
But Fitzgerald was afraid to be outed as a fraud and stole two of Strickland cameras. Strickland and his friend Chris Cochran ran after the fleeing Fitzgerald and Fitzgerald pounced, flipping Strickland and breaking his arm in at least three places. Strickland was hospitalized and out of work for months.
Watch it for yourself:
Strickland Being Beaten
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Images from two of Strickland’s cameras were obliterated by the filmmaker. Fitzgerald had allegedly stolen Strickland’s intellectual property in the incident.
Bearing Arms picks up the story:
We can also confirm that anti-violence producer/filmmaker Skye Fitzgerald turned himself in to a neighboring law enforcement organization after the attack, which was witnessed by numerous people. Based upon those accounts, Fitzgerald has been charged with felony robbery, misdemeanor theft, and misdemeanor assault. If the injuries to Mr. Saunderson are as severe as The Common Truth suggests, then it seems possible that the assault charge may be upgraded by prosecutors.
Fitzgerald is attempting a novel defense of his actions.
@repblumenauer @BurdickGinny @jakeweigler Here is beginning of fallout after defending myself when a CHL holder reaches for weapon
— Skye Fitzgerald (@Spin_Film) March 11, 2015
[We should probably note that the three people that Fitzgerald turned to on Twitter for help after attacking Saunderson are two rabidly anti-gun Oregon Democrats and a lobbyist for Michael Bloonmberg.]
I asked Gresham Police directly about this claim. There was no evidence whatsoever that there were any firearms at the scene, concealed or otherwise, on the persons of the victim or any of the witnesses.
Fitzgerald appears to have become upset that he was caught in a lie, and that his reaction was being (legally) recorded. He then allegedly attacked Saunderson both inside and outside the restaurant, and stole two cameras, then attempted to excuse his behavior with yet another apparent lie.
It is not known at this time if Fitzgerald destroyed or erased the film in these cameras before turning them in to authorities.
Though Fitzgerald was caught on tape committing an act of armed robbery, assault, assault with a deadly weapon, theft, leaving the scene, and any number of other charges, the Multnomah County DA’s office refused to bring charges.
Once again, the DA’s office protected its own left flank — a leftist anti-gun activist and left Strickland with no justice.
It’s a familiar refrain. It’s also corruption.
And here are the previous posts I’ve done on the Strickland case:
Portland Protesters Get ‘Traffic Tickets’: Strickland Defended Himself & Faces Prison
Mike Strickland Rally Speakers Put Stakes into Sharp Focus: ‘That Could Be You Next!’
Fund Raiser for Strickland Canceled After Portland Professional Protesters Swing Into Action
Perjury: Counting All the Times Ben Kerensa Lied on the Stand in Strickland Gun Case, Part 1
Seldom Seen Video of Mob of “Victims” Surrounding Strickland Before He Draws Weapon in Self Defense
Oregon Firearms Federation Responds to Strickland Gun Conviction
Here’s What 4 Cops & a 2-A Activist Saw When They Watched ‘Man Pulls Gun on PDX Protesters’ Video
Violent Protesters Show EXACTLY Why Strickland Carried Gun to Cover Protests
‘He Makes Fun of Us:’Reason Why Anarchists Conspired to Attack Strickland at Portland Protest
Bomb Threats, Activism, Anarchy: ‘Victim’ in Strickland Gun Case Is a Convicted Liar
Witness Against Strickland In Gun Case Is Federal Felon; Anarchist
Strickland Hearing Today & the Defense Has a Surprise for the DA
Strickland Indicted on Gun Charges; Ham Sandwich Next In Line
Strickland’s Gun Case Similar to Portland Case That Just Ended In Not-Guilty Verdict
The Exoneration of Portland Citizen Journalist Mike Strickland, ‘Laughing at Liberals.’
Citizen Journalist James O’Keefe Spotlights Mike Strickland Case
Here’s What 4 Cops & a 2-A Activist Saw When They Watched ‘Man Pulls Gun on PDX Protesters’ Video
Watch This Guy Advance on Mike Strickland Right Before He Pulled Gun At BLM Protest
